Time's Key
by tromana
Summary: Martha and Romana both have reasons to be annoyed. So they travel together. This is what happens when they are not drowning their sorrows. SPOILERS FOR S4, Classic Who, Gallifrey Audiobooks. For teenytinyghosty.


**Title:** Time's Key  
**Rating**: PG:13  
**Characters:** Martha, Romana and a lot of others.  
**Summary:** Martha is annoyed; her husband has been killed. Romana is annoyed; her planet destroyed with very few survivors. They travel together and get drunk in many bars; trying to give each other support. This is what happens when they don't find a suitable drinking place.  
**Spoilers:** S4: Midnight, Turn Left, The Stolen Earth, Journey's End. Old Who: The Power of Kroll (vaguely), The Armageddon Factor. Audio: Gallifrey Series.  
**Notes:** Firstly, I do not own Doctor Who - and that's a good thing. My episodes would be terrible. Secondly, this is a belated birthday fic for teenytinyghosty . Finally, vaguely beta'd by a friend and checked by the lovely persiflage1. (Both on Live Journal).

**Time****'****s Key**

The planet was dank, boggy. Hardly the place the Doctor had sold it to be. He had disappeared some place, shortly after landing. Maybe to spy on some wildlife or something. There wasn't much else here, after all. After a good hour trekking, Martha Jones literally bumped into someone. The first person she'd seen all day; other than the Doctor of course, before they had left the TARDIS. She slicked back her dark hair and gazed upwards. The woman was tall, dark haired, wearing white – which was impossibly clean – and effortlessly elegant despite the environment she too had been stranded in.

"What are you doing here?"

Martha accidentally blurted it out, and flushed slightly. Her acquaintance graced her with the slightest trace of a smile before hiding something up her sleeve."I'm looking for a key.""Well, I'm looking for a doctor," Martha paused. "I'm... travelling with him.""You shan't find many here. Who are you?""Martha Jones. You?""Romanadvoratrelundar.""Well," Martha attempted to repeat what the woman had just said, but failed magnificently. "I haven't seen any keys around here.""Romana!"

A deep, brown voice called from the distance. Romanadvoratrelundar grimaced.

"I'm afraid I shall have to leave you. Good luck.""Yes, you too," Martha breathed.

Martha had travelled quite some distance and become altogether muddier by the time she found the Doctor, tie slack, grinning from ear to ear. He took her hand and beamed at her. Her heart melted. She couldn't resist it. After all, every time he smiled it seemed like it was for you and you alone. She instantaneously forgot about the mud and the filth and her aching thighs.

"So, did you enjoy bird watching or whatever it was you were doing?" she enquired as they headed back in the general direction of the TARDIS. "Oh yes," he mused. "Have I told you about Romana?" He continued, despite Martha's mouthing. "Oh she was fantastic. Brilliant, wonderful, fantastic. Definitely the best President the Time Lords ever had."

Martha quickly decided that travelling with a Time Lord – the supposed last of the Time Lords – was altogether too confusing. How could she have just met the President of his planet, when he frequently said they were all deceased? He had said explicitly on their first meeting that crossing one's own time line was strictly forbidden (except for cheap tricks). But surely spying on someone like Romana did not classify as a cheap trick in any shape or form?

--

Martha had been running for quite some time. Some mad woman, blonde hair, Edwardian men's clothing and a frankly terrifying grin had been chasing her up the street, calling her name. She certainly wasn't in the mood for this; not after… no. She shouldn't think about that. She couldn't exactly help that this planet was a hive for alien invasion. Especially - for whatever reason, those creatures of pure distilled evil. Daleks. She had shuddered last time she found out it was them, whilst her mother looked at her quizzically. Martha stopped to catch her breath, but the woman caught up in that time. Obviously she had some kind of incredible lung capacity. Almost like the Doctor's. This was probably his fault, too. Somehow.

"Yes?" Martha snapped. It was her stalker's fault that she was in such a foul mood, so she only had it coming.  
"My name is Romanadvor-"  
"No way," Martha gasped. She calmed down considerably too. After all, she had heard a fair bit about Romana. Who was also meant to be quite dead. "But you've changed – you've regenerated." 'And you're alive', she thought. But didn't seem like it was quite the thing to say in a situation like this.  
"Indeed. As I was saying, but you may call me Romana."  
"I thought you didn't like that?"  
"I've got used to the diminutive. It reminds me less of home."  
"So you know?"  
"It's pretty impossible not to, when you're gliding out of a War in a shell of a TARDIS. No thanks, I might add, to someone who was meant to be your best friend."  
"The Doctor, by any chance?"

Romana glared slightly at the mention of his name, before sighing and nodding. The result of the Time War had been partially her fault, after all. But he didn't have to go and blow up Gallifrey without rescuing her (and Leela, of course) beforehand.

"I don't think I'd have survived if it wasn't for Leela."  
"Leela?"  
"Another one of the Doctor's many previous companions, of sorts. She was a savage, of sorts. My friend and bodyguard."  
"The Doctor never mentioned her," Martha muttered. "He mainly talked about Rose, and well, you a couple of times."  
"Never mind that." Romana brushed the subject aside with a wave of her hand. "How do you know about the Time War?"  
"The Doctor told me about it. And I've seen repercussions. Well, the Daleks."  
"You mean?"  
"They survived? Yes." Martha looked bitter. "In the 1930's, I saw them. Then they moved the whole bloody planet to try and destroy creation itself."

Romana scuffed at the ground with a red boot. So it had been for nothing. All her travelling in an inadequate machine and she hadn't heard a whisper about surviving Time Lords. Apart from the Doctor of course, the 'Lonely God', the 'Oncoming Storm'. She'd show him where to stick 'Oncoming Storm' when she met him again. But not yet. It was too raw, too bitter.

"D'you..."  
"Do you want to come with me?" Romana cut off Martha's tentative offer to work with UNIT. "I'm far better at operating a TARDIS then the Doctor, naturally."

Martha glanced behind her, from the wall they were perching on, to her new flat. It was ever so cold and lonely in there. Tom had been a victim of the Daleks when they moved the planet. The thought was never far from her mind. She could do with another break.

"Okay," Martha smiled. "I can phone the Doctor, if you like?"  
"No." Romana's answer was firm. "Not yet."

--

"Your TARDIS is so different to the Doctor's," Martha gasped. "It's so white and, well, white!"

Martha had placed down her cases beside the console as Romana made a few alterations to it. This TARDIS felt very different to the one she had last been on, almost cold, clinical. Her mother had been very supportive of the concept of her travelling again. She liked the Doctor a fair bit after that year, that was consequently never mentioned by those who remembered it. Good job she failed to mention it wasn't the Doctor she would be accompanying this time. She didn't think she would trust Time Lords other than him. She placed a hand on the console, as Romana hissed and brushed it aside. This TARDIS may have been top of the range when Gallifrey had been destroyed, but it had survived the escapement of the impossible. This meant it was in disrepair and frequently required attention.

"Yes. Please move those cases, I need to get there." After she tightened a dial, she turned to Martha and smiled. "Welcome to the Presidential TARDIS. It's not in the best of states, but it gets you from A to B."

"It really puts the Doctor's to shame."  
"Yes, and please stop mentioning him," Romana replied exasperatedly. "I didn't ask you to come just so we can talk about that, frankly, delinquent of a Time Lord."  
"Sorry. What should I do with my stuff?"

"Take that corridor, at the end turn left, second corridor on the right, first corridor on the left, third on the left. Fourth door on the right."  
"If that's going to be my room, how am I going to find it?"  
"You'll learn," Romana replied confidently. "Once you're settled, I'll take you for a drink somewhere."

--

The planet of Atrios, twin of Zeos, had been undergoing reparations for quite some time. Unfortunately, it would still be a good thousand years or so before the radiation levels would be safe for them to use the surface once more. However, this did not stop citizens of Atrios being rather jovial about their situation. People were finally living to old age, and there was no risk of dying in your beds due to an air strike.

Romana's TARDIS arrived, making a great deal of the matter. General Shapp – now advisor to the now Queen of Atrios, Astra, turned his head to the sound ignored by the other citizens. He quickly dismissed it; a sound once heard in his youth couldn't be erupting again. Atrios was fine now; surely that Doctor fellow couldn't be coming back? It had become legend that the arrival of him and his plucky young companion signalled trouble. And he didn't want it to occur on today of all days.

Martha opened the doors of the TARDIS tentatively. She stepped outside and groaned.

"Romana, I thought you promised to take me to better places than..."  
"I promised not to drag you wilfully into danger, Martha. There's a difference." Romana glanced around their surroundings. "Well, Drax has done rather well supply the Atrians, then." She sounded amused, almost surprised.  
"So do underground corridors have bars?" Martha asked. "In my, albeit, limited knowledge of them, they generally don't."  
"Atrios, thirty years ago, was undergoing nuclear war with its twin planet, Zeos."  
"Why?"  
Romana smiled. "Because a computer was programmed to do so. That's all."  
"Whatever for?"  
"The Black Guardian's trickery. This was before I regenerated, barely out of childhood, arrogant as you like...""I thought arrogance was inbred into all Time Lords," Martha muttered under her breath.  
"Anyway, since then they have been undergoing extensive reparations. Everything's underground because the half-life of the radiation will prevent them from surfacing for at least one thousand years."  
"And that includes bars?"  
"Yes."  
"Oh good. I never got to go to bars last time... too busy running."

They travelled the twisting corridors, past rushing citizens, all desperate to get to the nearest vid-screen. More than once Martha was nearly knocked off her feet. When they finally arrived, the bar was a modest affair, but enough to keep the locals happy. It also happened to be packed to the rafters. A bar being busy wasn't going to stop Martha getting a drink, so she left Romana standing in a corner and squeezed through to purchase two drinks. She nearly regretted buying the cocktail-like affairs when half of them ended up on the floor as she returned to her companion. A hushed silence fell across the room as the screen flickered to life, first showing the Atrian symbol of the stylised eagle, before clicking into a room within the Royal House. Martha gasped.

"She survived!" Romana clapped her hands together.

"She looks just like you," Martha breathed. "Only older. Who is she?"  
"Princess Astra. I copied her body when I was so young." Martha could barely hear Romana speak. "It feels like a lifetime ago. Well, it was I suppose."  
"Well, you've barely aged."  
"One of the many curses of a Time Lord," she muttered. "There are scars you wouldn't believe."

They were hushed into silence by angry punters. Embarrassed, they did so to join the crowd into listening to the proud Queen of Atrios announcing the birth of her first grandson – the first male to be born into the Royal House for seven generations. Naturally, at this announcement, there was a raucous celebration. Martha slipped out of the room, as did Romana (with slightly more trouble, looking like a younger version of their blessed Queen).

"If you're not happy with your body, why not just regenerate?" Martha asked, as they stomped down a corridor towards the TARDIS. The cocktail had been more potent than she expected, and she was feeling rather tipsy.  
"Martha," Romana pulled a face of distaste. "That's just like saying why don't you go off and die."  
"Sorry," Martha shrugged. "Should I call the Doctor now?"  
"Absolutely not. For a start, you need to sleep off that cocktail."  
"And you don't because you are a Lord of Time?"  
"Exactly," Romana smiled. Even when drunken, Martha made quite sensible rationalisations.

--

The planet of Midnight had been more up to Martha's expectations. Although once again, it was impossible to surface due to the total lack of atmosphere outside, the complex they were in was filled with stunning, glittering views of the planet surface. All of it was safely through 15 feet of glass, carefully monitored to ensure it was entirely safe, all the time.

"If you take one of the Crusader trips, you get to see a waterfall, cascading over the most diamonds in one location. All untouched by sentient hands." Martha jumped as Romana whispered in her ear. "Of course, we can always sunbathe instead."

She caught the fluffy robe thrown at her by Romana and grinned. Questioning whether or not they'd be able to see this obviously spectacular view, Romana nodded and announced she had booked them on one of the evening's trips. This gave them all day to enjoy the powerful sunshine emitted by Midnight's closest star.

"Martha!"  
"Donna!"

Martha had just walked into the room containing a massive swimming pool. Looking forward to a day's rest and relaxation, the last person she had expected to find here was Donna Noble. She had cried on the phone when the Doctor had informed her of her fate, and once again when she passed the message along to Jack. However, the two humans embraced quickly before drawing apart. Martha looked at Donna quizzically.

"What are you doing here?"  
"I'm with old skinny bones. What about you?"

Martha quickly surmised this was one of those timey-wimey moments, again. Obviously, Donna hadn't succumbed to her fate and she and Romana had travelled back in Donna's personal history. To a time when she was still with the Doctor, and still as magnificent as ever.

"I'm with a friend."She motioned over to Romana, who was staring at one of the posters on the wall all too intently. Soon bored with it, she crossed over to Martha and Donna.

"Romana, this is Donna. She's travelling with the D-"  
"Alright, Martha. Hello, Donna." She shook Donna's hand with a firm grip. "Please don't tell him we're here," she paused. "Oh- and there's something on your back. I can't quite see what. Sorry."

Romana left as quickly as she had arrived. Probably to inspect the fifteen foot glass protecting the complex. Despite all the assurances from staff that it was safe, she could never take their word for it. It was all too similar to the technology on Davidia, the Presidential retreat planet, and all far too early.

"Oh no, not that again," Donna huffed. "And why not tell the Doctor? He'd love to see you again. Not so sure about meeting her, though."  
"Anger issues," Martha shrugged. "And believe me; he'd love to see her." Martha bent down to whisper in Donna's ear, "She's Time Lord."  
"You're kidding. But he said-"  
"Not the case," Martha grinned. "She's only, ooh, the 3rd I've met. So much for an extinct race."

Donna laughed loudly, disturbing other relaxing guests. Martha turned over her shoulder and gave them an embarrassed smile. Donna had a habit of attracting attention wherever she went, it was no wonder she became such an important person in the Universe. Just as Donna was settling down again, and was about to speak to Martha, a tannoy announced that all later trips were to be cancelled.

"I bet that's his fault."  
"Martha, we're going." Romana's tone was firm and uncompromising.  
"But-"  
"Things to do. Goodbye Donna." As they walked away, she whispered in her ear, "I don't like this place."

--

Chiswick was suffering yet another typically cold and rainy afternoon. Donna Noble stormed onwards, head bent low, protecting her face, whilst she argued loudly on the telephone with some unknown soul about typically mundane reasons. She slumped down on the park bench opposite two strangers, one of whom was particularly unusually dressed. The girl clad in a red leather jacket gave her a shy smile, which she returned, whilst the weird blonde glared at her.

'Sod her,' Donna thought, before dismissing it from her mind. Her conversation with Nerys about another possible job lead was far more important

Romana was shaking, only visible to her companion, as Donna continued nattering loudly on her mobile opposite them. It wasn't the cold that was affecting her particularly, nor the rain. Biologically, she was far more capable with coping with this weather than your average human.

"Donna Noble," Romana whispered, so only Martha could hear. "Shouting at the world to make herself heard, because no one would listen otherwise," she paused. "This feels wrong, like, I don't know. She's hiding something. Is this before she met the Doctor?"

Martha shook her head. How she wished it was, though. Donna had become exactly the same Donna she was before she had met him. Anything else would kill her. She'd never know quite how wonderful she was, or that there were aliens singing her praises millions of miles away. When the Doctor had informed her of their friend's fate, she had wept. When she repeated the information to Jack, she cried again. She hadn't expected Romana's response to her to be quite like this though.

"Why did you ask to come here, Martha?" Romana's voice sounded panicked.  
"I dunno, I guess I just wanted to see her. Make sure she was alright," she added in a whisper. "Maybe I hoped you could save her.""Save her from what exactly?" Romana's voice squeaked slightly, sounding thoroughly less authoritative than she usually did.  
"Human-Time Lord metacrisis."  
"Ah." It suddenly made sense. "And the Doctor wiped her mind of everything to stop her from dying?"

Martha nodded as Donna left. Her eyes didn't leave her as Donna pulled her coat over her striking red hair and stormed out of the park.

"Yes."  
"We're going back to the TARDIS," Romana announced, taking the lead. As usual.

--

The door slammed suddenly behind Martha, as if this TARDIS was as annoyed at her request as it's owner was. Romana was activating switches, pulling levers and generally running around the console faster than she'd ever seen anyone move before. It was as if she couldn't bear to be in Chiswick a moment longer than she had to. Agitated, it wasn't until they were safely in the vortex, that she could be bothered to look at Martha.

"Can you save her?"  
"No," she added quickly, "I might have been able to before _someone_ blundered in, But," she took a deep breath. "The damage is done now. She'll forever be wrong to species adept at time travel. Time Lords, Monans…"

"Right," Martha replied, "Romana?"  
"Yes?" Romana positively snapped her head off.  
"Promise me - if anything like that ever, for whatever reason, happens to me," she paused. She wasn't quite sure that she had made the right decision. "That you'll let me die."  
"I can't do that, Martha."  
"Please? I can't live not knowing you or the Doctor," Martha begged. "Life is so much more exciting, varied… wonderful than I ever imagined."  
"A life is better than no life at all, Martha," Romana whispered. "Do you know how many Time Lords used a Chameleon Circuit, that…"  
"I know what it does," Martha interjected quickly.  
"Right, well, rather then fight in the War? And how many I had to order because they needed a chance to live, as another species, rather than be just a pointless waste?"

Martha shook her head. She had a feeling she had lost this. Romana was staring at the wall, as cold as her TARDIS sometimes felt. Martha began creeping out of the room. Whenever Romana ended up like this, it could sometimes take her hours before she snapped out of it. As it was mentally exhausting, she always ensured that there was a sandwich and the kettle was ready to boil as soon as Romana was ready for it.

"Where do you want to go?"

Martha spun on her heels. That was unexpectedly fast.

"I know," Romana stated, rather than wait for an answer. "We could do with a holiday. Oh and I could _murder_ a cup of tea."

--

Romana stoically ignored the dripping upon her feet as she wriggled at the chains that bound her tightly to Martha. She had been rather annoyed when her faithful sonic screwdriver had been destroyed by a rogue vortisaur a couple of weeks ago. However, she had not had the time to replace it; mainly due to the fact that she had been busy trying to show Martha she was far more adept at time travel than a certain counterpart.

This time, she had not been so successful. This was mainly due to the fact that her gut instinct had lead her to a planet suffering a violent revolution as a 'holiday' and were consequently thrown into a prison deep beneath the capital for their involvement.

"I thought this was meant to be fun," Martha grumbled.  
"Oh come on, it is," Romana replied, not sounded as enthusiastic as she hoped. "Some excitement for a change, there is only so many bars that you can want to see across the Universe."

Martha grumbled indistinctly. She preferred a bar, right now. At least she could drown her sorrows. And Romana too; she could at least get a few moments peace from the torment over the loss of her planet. It also stopped her fuming about the Doctor briefly, whom she didn't appear to be tolerating, still.

"I wish the Doctor was here," Martha muttered, regardless of how Romana would act.

--

"Madame P!" The sound was indistinct among the thronging crowds. "Madame President, Romana!"

Martha turned on her heels and nudged Romana in the side and stopped dead within the mass of people, almost pushing them both off their feet. Another fuel supply had been shuttled into Delta Magna, meaning almost everyone on the planet was after the lion's share. A small hand clasped itself around Romana's, who grabbed Martha roughly as they were pulled into yet another dank and musky bar.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you," the woman grinned whilst shoving her trademark jacket onto the empty chair.  
Romana grinned, "Martha, this is Ace. Ace, Martha."

Martha quietly acknowledged her, but reverted into herself. Ever since that time they had been trapped in that awful prison, Romana had taken it upon herself to look for survivors of the War that haunted her so terribly. Martha was beginning to feel like a spare wheel on what had, so far, been a fruitless search. She couldn't help but admire her persistence, though. And she had been great company since the death of Tom.

"Why Delta Magna?"  
"This thing got me here, didn't it?" Ace pointed at the white bracelet around her wrist. "There I was, about to destroy 5 more Daleks with a can of Nitro 9, then suddenly I just popped up here. No way to get back. You gave me this, didn't you?"  
"They were given to all who didn't belong on Gallifrey, Ace. We couldn't let you die."  
"Apart from Leela, I bet."  
"That's different. Gallifrey was Leela's home."  
"And mine! You think I belong in Perivale?"  
"Maybe not, but.."  
"But I was helping you! Oh I bet it was the Professor who put you up to this."  
"The Professor?" It was the first time Martha had spoke in quite a while. Both other women, jerked their heads towards her, apparently having forgotten her presence entirely.  
"She means the Doctor, Martha."  
"Oh right. Well then. Carry on."

Martha smiled inwardly. It was the first time Romana had said the Doctor's name without it sounding like she was spitting it out. Maybe she was cooling down, after all. And maybe soon she could tell the Doctor the fantastic news - that he wasn't the last of the Time Lords.

"Alright, I suppose. Can I ask one favour of you? If I'm not going to tell the Professor about you - if I bloody well see him - can you just drop me off somewhere with a bit more life than this dreary place?"

--

Ace was quite a character and Martha was quite sad when she had left them on a place she deemed exciting enough. It had been nice to have some more human company for a change, especially when Romana brought out a metal dog that looked quite similar to the one she saw briefly that Sarah Jane had. However, she was beginning to come to the conclusion that all his companions before the War that Romana, the Doctor, Ace and this mysterious Leela woman had served in, seemed to hold him in bitter regard. That included Romana and Ace, obviously.

K9 wasn't proving to be an ideal replacement to Ace, in Martha's opinion. For a mobile computer, it seemed to have some kind of superiority complex and, Martha didn't know if it was her imagination or not, seemed to look down on her even more than Romana. This was despite the fact that Romana had emphatically explained to the metal mutt that Martha was his mistress, too.

Despite her attempts to prove otherwise, he was a hindrance on most planetary surfaces, which Romana turned a blind eye to, and slowed them down considerably. When she had complained loudly to the dog about this, he replied with a short, sharp 'negative mistress, it is the fault of the planet. I have been perfectly designed and corrected by all past and present owners of the K9 unit'. Martha felt like kicking him, but quickly remembered it would hurt her more than K9.

--

"Where is this place, K9?"

Martha shut the door to the TARDIS, whilst Romana crouched and spoke quietly into the mobile computer's satellite dish ears. She smiled as Romana, beaming, patted him on his head and whispering that he was a 'good dog' before straightening up to look at her.

"I thought so. We are within the star system of Gallifrey, Martha. That is the Silver Devastation."

The sight was stunning, a cosmic display like no other. She found herself lost for words, simply absorbed by the sight she felt honoured to see. On Earth, if she tried to tell people about what she'd seen, what she'd done, and indeed, what she had drank with Romana, she would be locked up. Then again, she would have also after her travels with the Doctor.

Romana beamed as she watched the emotions flitter across Martha's eyes. Martha certainly deserved it, she was unusual for her species. The strength of Ace, curiosity of Leela, vulnerability of Sarah Jane (whom she had met briefly - and tried to persuade to travel with her first) and a stubbornness like no other, yet was completely her own person.

"Martha?"  
"Yes?"  
"Thank you for travelling with me."  
"It's my pleasure."

--

When Romana saw what was parked next to her TARDIS when they landed on Earth at the 2108 Olympics, she tried to turn back into it to leave immediately. She was hindered by the fact that Martha had ran up to hug the rather slim, tall Doctor. A regeneration she hadn't seen before. To make matters worse, K9 had rolled up to him, wagging his antennae tail and rotating his ears as he greeted his Master.

After putting Martha down once again, he turned to Romana, with a sheepish grin. She had a face like thunder, instructed K9 to go back inside and slapped the Doctor with all the strength she could muster before following her dog. The Doctor rubbed his cheek - he hadn't even been able to say a word to her - how fantastic it was that she was alive, for a start - before she had stalked off.

"Sorry, Doctor," Martha shrugged. "I thought she was ready."  
"Obviously not." He was still nursing his jaw. "She slaps harder than your mother. I should have known that."  
"Maybe in a few more months, she'll have calmed down a bit more. Y'know, so she can actually say something to you?"  
"I hope so." The Doctor looked mournful, it was obvious of all the Time Lords, the one he most desperately missed outside his family was Romanadvoratrelundar. "You looking after her? Is she looking after you?"  
"Yes and yes."  
"Well you're the best doctor I know for the job. I better not keep you waiting."

Martha nodded, hugged him goodbye and headed back inside Romana's TARDIS rather than the police box that stood beside it. She knew she wouldn't be able to avoid blame for this incident and Romana would probably be in a rather impressive mood with her. But at least she was on the way to reuniting two lost and lonely Time Lords.

**End.**


End file.
